Half-baked: Story’s similarity to the scone

A scone recipe is like story structure, the scaffolding upon which most tales are built.

A good story needs a beginning or exposition, a conflict that grows to a climax, followed by falling action that leads to resolution or denouement. A good scone begins with the introduction of flour, sugar and butter to milk and baking powder. It grows into a dough, sticky with possibilities the baker must resolve: Will you combine dried fruits with chocolate? Or will you strive for a balance between sharp cheddar and pungent herb? Once the question is resolved, the dough is baked and ready to eat.

While the possibilities are endless when it comes to scone embellishments, there are a handful of basic story plots reproduced again and again, whether knowingly or not, according to “Seven Basic Plot: Why We Tell Stories” by Christopher Brooker. They are:

Overcoming the Monster A hero must confront a monster in a fight to the death. Jack and the Beanstalk, Dracula.

The Quest The hero sets out on a hazardous journey to find something valuable and usually succeeds. The Wizard of Oz, Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Voyage and Return The hero travels to an unfamiliar world, which at first is marvelous, but grows increasingly dangerous. After a dramatic escape, he returns to his familiar world, often wiser for the experience. Alice in Wonderland, Gone with the Wind, The Commoner.

Comedy A misunderstanding causes the characters to tie themselves and each other into a knot that seems almost unbearable. But in the end, everyone and everything gets sorted out, happily. Shakespeare’s comedies, Pride and Prejudice, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.

Tragedy A character through some flaw or lack of self-understanding is drawn into a fatal course of action which leads to disaster. Madame Bovary.

Rebirth The hero is held in evil’s deadly grip. When it seems that evil has triumphed, the hero is saved, sometimes through the power of love. Snow White, Shadow of the Wind.

Last week, I did a rags-to-riches riff on my basic scone recipe. I took the shaggy coconut, married it to chocolate and created a scone fit for kings. Well, maybe I exaggerate, but that’s a storyteller’s license, right?